This is Just a Ride

"The world is like a ride in an amusement park, and when you choose to go on it you think it's real because that's how powerful our minds are. The ride goes up and down, around and around, it has thrills and chills, and it's very brightly colored, and it's very loud, and it's fun for a while. 

Many people have been on the ride a long time, and they begin to wonder: "Hey, is this real, or is this just a ride? And other people have remembered, and they come back to us and say: "Hey, don't worry, don't be afraid, ever, because this is just a ride." And we...kill those people. "Shut him up! I've got a lot invested in this ride, shut him up! Look at my furrows of worry, look at my big bank account, and my family. This has to be real." 

It's just a ride. 

But we always kill the good guys who try and tell us that, you ever notice that? And let the demons run amok. But it doesn't matter, because it's just a ride. And we can change it any time we want. It's only a choice. No effort, no work, no job, no savings of money. Just a simple choice, right now, between fear and love. The eyes of fear want you to put bigger locks on your doors, buy guns, close yourself off. The eyes of love instead see all of us as one. Here's what we can do to change the world, right now, to a better ride.Take all that money we spend on weapons and defenses each year and instead spend it feeding and clothing and educating the poor of the world, which it would pay for many times over, not one human being excluded, and we could explore space, together, both inner and outer, forever, in peace."

- Bill Hicks

It's Just a Ride
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Your TopCrusher,

Dúnia

Little Princess Trust: cutting your hair for a good cause!

Recently, two friends of mine, Olívia and Inês, decided to cut and donate their hair to the Little Princess Trust, a charity that provides real hair wigs to children with cancer and other diseases that cause hair loss. I thought this was a really special and kind gesture, so the least I can do - while I don't have the courage to donate - is write about it and hopefully reach more people who are thinking of doing the same but just don't know how. 

This is what you can read on the charity's website: 

"We work with specialist suppliers and experienced hairdressers who offer wigs tailored to the individual child’s needs to give the most realistic look and feel, as close as possible to their original hair. We strive to put parents/guardians in contact with suppliers as local as possible."

The process is actually pretty simple, this is the information you should know before you donate:

Suitable hair types: 

• Clean, dry hair in good condition (no split ends) from any gender, and of any natural colour, 
• Straight, wavy, curly, permed or chemically straightened (in good condition), 
• Containing the odd grey (less than 10%), 
• Dyed, bleached/highlighted (any dyes must be of a natural colour), 
• Layered (shortest layer must be at least 7”/17cm), 
• Plaits/ponytails, cut a long time ago, preserved in good condition

Guidelines:

• Immediately prior to the cut, please wash and dry your hair. Please do not send wet hair in the post as this will sadly render your kind donation unusable. Please do not add any styling product though conditioner is acceptable
• Have your dried hair tied into a number of plaits or pony-tails, secured at both the root end and the tip end with an elastic band
• Ask your hairdresser to cut your dried hair above the bands at the root end, thereby releasing plaits/pony-tails, tied at both ends. You can now have your hair cut further and styled (or shaved if that is your intention)
• Place your dry plaits/pony-tails into a clear plastic bag (for example a freezer bag) as soon as possible after they have been cut. Place them in a padded envelope and post using a standard postal service to:

Little Princess Trust Hair Donation

Sheridan House

114-116 Western Road

HOVE BN3 1DD (UK)

If you're looking for inspiration, you can also see their gallery, which is full of pictures from courageous people who have already donated their hair. The wigs are completely free for the children and the charity will send you a certificate after they receive the donation. 

The next time you think about getting an extreme makeover, you can cut your hair for a good cause! Don't forget to donate, make someone happy with a part of you! 

Your TopCrusher,

Daniela

90's ads that raised a generation

Grandma bake you cookies that got stuck in your teeth's and hands because they had so much sugar on it, TV was a realm of cartoons and ads for toys, things, people you wanna grow up to be, everything you would like to own later in life and you were certain that someday you'd find a use for every single one of them.

Those were the days!

See also: 27 movies, 27 years

The 90's...the years that raise a generation on TV. No, I'm not arguing about the influence of such ads on the young minds (no, not going there) but without making judgements those ads can't get out of our mind (c'mon people I can't be alone in this) and just like your grandma cookies, those ads are part of our childhood.

That song played and suddenly you knew that everything was going to be alright.

HOLIDAYS WERE COMING!!!! 

Yep. Everybody knows this one!

 

C'mon Duck tales! Cartoons were never this good :)

Ruffles, ruffles everywhere!

It should be 16.30 more often. This ad is iconic right?

the 90's a time where childrem actually play outside with TAZOS.

You got your moves from this ad and go try it at school the next day! 

PRINGLES!

TOTALLY CRAZY. saturdays you spend with your cousin applying different looks and then just choosing to cut off all of Totally Hair Barbie doll. Aww, good times.

See also: 27 movies, 27 years

Your very nostalgic TopCrusher 

Alex,

Plus is Equal

size sexy
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Have you met Ashley Graham? She is definitely my crush for this month! This beauty is an American model from Nebraska and also a "body activist" who is trying to change the way the fashion industry works. 

I've heard of Ashley the first  when she staged a plus size show in the latest New York  Fashion Week, which showcased her lingerie designs for plus size retailer Addition Elle. 

First of all: the lingerie was a-ma-zing.

Secondly: she absolutely rocked it! I mean.. After all, there's a reason why the hashtag was #IamSizeSexy! I loved everything, but most of all, I love that she has what most women lack the most: confidence.

It's time for people to understand that sexy doesn't have to be skinny and all body types are equally beautiful and deserve to be loved. It's not the first time I post about this subject, as I feel that women are still being judged and put into boxes of skinny/beautiful or fat/ugly based on their weight and this is extremely unfair and unreal. 

Again, I believe that at the end of the day we should be worried, not about the number on the scale, but about the fact that we're striving for a healthy lifestyle based on real standards that show us gorgeous women.  

Your TopCrusher,

Daniela 

Menorca, a Spanish piece of heaven

Mitjana
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Hi Crushers,

After my last post about a Portuguese island, I'm going to share my experience on another island, this time a Spanish one: Menorca. I was there for a week and it was the perfect ending for my summer holidays. This island is one of the Balearic Islands and it is located in the Mediterranean Sea.

If you are looking for beautiful sunny beaches, warm water and soft sand, this is the island for you too. While I was there, we decided that we should know as many "calas" - which mean beaches - as we could. We selected a few of them according to what we thought would be the most beautiful and interesting to visit. Heads up: some are easy to get to, for others you need proper footwear and motivation to walk an hour and a half under the burning Menorca sun. However, I can tell you that the effort is worth it.

After visiting all the calas we were looking for, I can tell you that my favorite one was cala Mitjana. I cannot give you a scientific or logic reason why... It was just a superb day for me, and I'm sure I'll never forget it. Everything was just perfect: the beach, the weather, the company, the sand and salt on my skin, I just adored it.

I also visited cala Turqueta, Macarella and Macarelleta, Galdana, Escorxada (the most difficult to get to, I would advise you to book a taxi boat if you are not into long walks), Fustam, Trebalúger, Santandria and Arenal d'en Castell. You can google all of them and read different opinions of bloggers, but I believe that only when you actually visit these places you can understand their beauty.

This is not the ideal island if you are looking for a crazy week  drinking with your friends but it has a spectacular club called Cova d'en Xoroi that is something like I've never seen before: "an impressive natural space located in a beautiful cliff on the south coast of the island, touched by history and washed by the sea". Basically: an unique disco inside a cavern with incredible views! 

To sum up, this week was like a piece of heaven on earth for me, I will certainly recommend the island in the future and possibly return to visit the magnificent calas! 

Your TopCrusher,

Daniela 

6 Things about Madeira Island, Portugal

Hey Crushers,

Recently I went to Madeira island in a work trip and I decided that I had to share this experience with you guys. Although I'm Portuguese, this was the first island that I visited. Just to give you a quick overview about it: Madeira is located in the north Atlantic Ocean, being visited every year by about one million tourists.

Madeira is known for its wine, gastronomy, historical and cultural value, its flora and fauna and beautiful landscapes (classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site). Its annual New Year celebrations feature the largest fireworks show in the world. Unfortunately, I was only there for 3 days, and I was working hard, so I didn't have enough time to visit the whole island. I met Funchal, which is the capital and the largest city. 

Anyhow, it was enough time to take my own (probably hasty) conclusions. Here are 6 things I learned about Madeira:

1. Sea, everywhere. Yeah, I'm not stupid, I know it's an island. Anyway, I'm not used to be so close to the sea all the time, and I loved it! It doesn't matter where you are, if you look for it, the sea is there for you. I loved opening my window in the morning with that breathtaking view!

2. Nice, simple people. The people from Madeira are used to tourists visiting all year and you can expect to be treated with kindness and lots of smiles from the locals. It's also a safe place, great for young people looking for an adventure or families with young children. 

3. Nosy taxis drivers. This one was the funniest thing for me. I was with a work colleague there and taxi drivers were very concerned with our relationship and our purpose on the island. There wasn't a day where we weren't questioned about what we do, where we are from, why we where there, etc. Sometimes they would end up with a comment like "well, two beautiful women on the island..." with that curious/suspicious look on their faces. We though it was very amusing.

Madeira
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4. Peace. It's just so peaceful comparing with our crazy lifestyle. No traffic, no noise, things just happen with the appropriate speed and without so much stress. I think I wouldn't get used to it, but sometimes it's nice to feel a different environment.

5. It goes up... and down! Take your comfortable shoes with you because this island is going to test your limits. Think positive: the higher you go, the better landscapes you'll see! Ps: it's hot too, so don't forget your water bottle.

6. CR7. If you like soccer, you have to know Cristiano Ronaldo. Since he was born in Madeira, you are going to see him everywhere there. Honestly, there's even a statue of him on the main avenue, so the people from Madeira are, undoubtedly, his biggest fans. 

If you ever visit Madeira you'll confirm these things and many more, and I'm sure you'll have a good time on our beautiful Portuguese paradise!

Your TopCrusher,

Daniela 

Love, Freedom and Aloneness

Aloneness
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Today I discovered Chandra Mohan Jain, also known as Osho. He was an Indian mystic, guru and spiritual teacher. I've never heard of him before but I accidentally found a quote on pinterest about our capacity to love that got my attention. It is so simple, but at the same time it is really deep and insightful and it made perfect sense to me. This was the excerpt:

“The capacity to be alone is the capacity to love. It may look paradoxical to you, but it's not. It is an existential truth: only those people who are capable of being alone are capable of love, of sharing, of going into the deepest core of another person--without possessing the other, without becoming dependent on the other, without reducing the other to a thing, and without becoming addicted to the other. They allow the other absolute freedom, because they know that if the other leaves, they will be as happy as they are now. Their happiness cannot be taken by the other, because it is not given by the other.” Osho

Aren't we all constantly learning to love? I know I am. The older I get, the more I realize that it is very challenging to love someone, to make them happy and to be happy too. According to Osho, happiness should only come from us and not from the others. Isn't it beautiful to believe that we only depend on ourselves? 

I was so curious that I ordered his book "Love, Freedom and Aloneness" because I feel that sometimes I just need a different perspective on life and how to live it, to keep an open mind and an open heart. 

Hopefully it will be enlightening, I'll let you know what I thought after I read it. 

Your TopCrusher,

Daniela